Plead India: “Things fall apart, the opposition cannot hold”

While reading Erasmus’ views on ‘One must be born a king or a fool’ I realised how apt it was in the present times. He says, as subjects we have a very wrong notion of ‘who must be our ruler’. We go on to choose him on appearances, age, cheerfulness, oratory skills and lack on the real qualifications that excels him above us.

A leader is groomed not born, so is true about our Gandhi clan — both Varun and Rahul. At least the later is trying to fit in the shoes. We have politicians but no leaders or statesmen. A leader, king, ruler is thought ‘good’, which is no ‘good’. The Tata Tea commercial, though not a great one, does reiterate the same point on the qualification that qualifies a leader to take up such huge task. Is he responsible enough to take our responsibility?

A leader of a state or a country is such, who acts as an exemplar for the rest of the world. He is the one who can create as well as destroy an entire nation because of his decisions. Horses treat a prince and a pauper equally. They do not differentiate on the basis of status. A Horse knows and respects a skillful rider. We as subjects have to act like horses and not like blind followers of a particular sect.

In the present scenario on paper we do have choices, unlike monarchy. Erasmus thus, does not entirely hold true. But, the problem being we do not have a choice for real. Yes, despite being a democratic republic and despite having a multi party system, we do not have a choice. It is cul-de-sac and we have to opt for the only exit.

It is believed that ‘opposition’ ensures efficient working of a ‘democracy’. This is where the citizens of India fail to reap the fruits of their ‘choice’. We vote, support, elect and expect. Our leaders specialize in delivering fiery speeches every five years. Otherwise they are impotent of delivering anything substantial.

I am sorry to announce an ailing opposition which is paralysed by its own ideologies. It is futile to blame the right wing, a necessary evil, for their discrimination based on religion as it happens to be their mainstream ideology. Thus we elect the other, not because they are not communal, but because we can hold them responsible for being communal. It is suicidal to challenge the left wing as they are always contradicting and challenging themselves.

Varun Gandhi’s speech saddens me and thus shows another young leader gone ashtray in the BJP’s devastation. Though I fear, that his speech and its major publicity may leave him all the more glorious like Raj Thakery. We might not be amidst a political upheavel like Pakistan, thankfully, but the present state of affairs are certainly not bright.